The competition was played by 16 team.

In the first phase, two pool of 8 was Played.

Bordeaux-Begles was relegated o the Pro D2 for 2003-04 by DNACG (nationale d'aide et de contrôle de gestion federal commission for finance control of the professional clubs due to financial irregularities.

Bordeaux was one of the four teams that always played in the first division of French championship after the First World War, with Toulouse, Agen and Montferrand.

Them and the third also qualified for 2004–05 Heineken Cup Stade Français: Sylvain Marconnet, Benoît August, Pieter de Villiers, David Auradou, Mike James, Pierre Rabadan, Raphaël Jéchoux, Patrick Tabacco, Fabien Galthié, Diego Dominguez, Thomas Lombard, Stéphane Glas, Brian Liebenberg, Christophe Dominici, Ignacio Corleto - Replacements : Mathieu Blin, Pablo Lemoine, Rémy Martin, Jérôme Fillol, Cliff Mytton, Arnaud Marchois, Arthur Gomes Toulouse : Benoît Lecouls, Yannick Bru, Patrice Collazo, David Gérard, Fabien Pelous, Trevor Brennan, Jean Bouilhou, Christian Labit, Frédéric Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Vincent Clerc, Yannick Jauzion, Émile Ntamack, Xavier Garbajosa, Clément Poitrenaud - Replacements : William Servat, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Grégory Lamboley, Jean-Baptiste Élissalde, Cédric Desbrosse, Cédric Heymans, Finau Maka